KIRKUS REVIEW

It all begins with darkness.
Fleischman’s retelling then slips through bits and pieces of creation tales
culled from cultures originating in Egypt, Mali, the Banks Islands, Israel, and
many other geographical locations. Commonalities and unifying themes among the
disparate stories soon arise. These threads depend on the details: the first
humans born from the tears of the sun god, Ra (Egypt), Quat making the first
humans out of wood and bringing them to life with the beat of a drum (Banks
Islands), and so on. Woven together, the tales both contrast against and
emphasize one another’s specificities. Much of the cohesiveness is due to
Paschkis’ folk-art illustrations, which once again shine. Bold lines and
vibrant colors characterize most spreads; curves, sharp diagonal lines, and
other striking shapes coalesce as each scene spills into the next. One
particular double-page spread depicting human-caused destruction (Mozambique) and
an angry God setting fire to the earth (Gabon) embodies this pictorial unity to
an electrifying degree. Yet the narrative stumbles a bit under its weight.
Certain scenes flow better together, while others pull attention in different
directions. Still, this wide canvas amazes.

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